Naruto: Road to Adventure
by Adelaide Leichhardt
Summary: Fantasy/LOTR AU – A Sorcerer, Shapeshifter, Elf and a Barbarian? It sounded more like a bad joke then an epic quest. Yet even more surprising is the bonds that are formed during their journey. Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura and Kakashi must all work together as a team if they are to be successful, but the rewards at the end are more than they expected. SxS NxH and KxOC
1. Chapter 1

Sakura sat on top of a rock picking at the dirt beneath her nails out of shear boredom while the trio of men in front of her talked and bickered between them as they had been for the past half hour.

The famous silver haired sorcerer Kakashi Hatake had called upon her and two others to help him on a dangerous and mysterious quest. That in itself wasn't a problem, but once the other two team members were introduced, it was clear that this quest was going to be more trouble than good. What could be so special about a scroll written by some Toad Sage anyway?

Right from the get go, the elf Sasuke and the Shapeshifter Naruto did not get along. This was even more surprising since it was usually elves and humans (particularly Barbarians) that didn't get along. Even stranger yet was the fact that being a Barbarian herself Sakura was anything but disgusted by Sasuke's presence. In fact, she was embarrassed to think that he was very handsome, and as the men argued in front of her, she couldn't help but admire the elf's beautiful features. His defined jaw, dark slanted eyes, soft black hair that feathered his face and spiked at the back. Then of course there was the tell-tale signs of a well maintained physic underneath his garments.

Sakura had been so distracted observing Sasuke, that she'd completely lost track of whatever it was that him and Naruto had been arguing over. Kakashi seemed just as bored as her with their arguing, but not wanting to waste any more time on their quest he decided to intervene.

"Come now you two, you're both acting disgracefully in front of the lady" he reasoned.

At that Sasuke and Naruto focused their eyes on Sakura, who suddenly blushed crimson red at the sudden attention. _Why did Kakashi have to bring her into this?_

Before she could add anything to the conversation Naruto suddenly appeared right in front of her face, eyes squinted and mouth pouting in concentration as he analysed her.

"I was always told Barbarians were crude and ugly" Naruto began as he closely scrutinized Sakura.

At this comment Sasuke snorted in amusement.

"Excuse me!?" Sakura demanded before she found herself clubbing Naruto over the head and giving him a look that could kill.

"Ouch!" Naruto whimpered. "I was just saying that that's what I've been told, but the stories are all wrong Sakura Chan, you're beautiful-ttebayo!" he said sincerely while waving his hands in front of his face like a white flag.

Sakura had never been called beautiful before, and at Naruto's sweet words she couldn't help the small blush rising to her cheeks. Sasuke frowned at his companions.

"If you two are finished flirting, I want to get this quest over and done with so I can be left in peace." He stated with an air of arrogance about him.

"Excuse me? I was not flirting!" Sakura began. She was going to continue her abuse of the elf when he cut over her.

"Tsk. Annoying" he chided as he turned to walk away.

That froze Sakura. _Annoying?_ That hurt her far more deeply then she expected. Why? Nevermind she wasn't about to be insulted and let it slide, regardless of how good looking the elf was. She was just about to pounce of the elf and smack some of that rudeness out of him when Kakashi suddenly intervened.

"Alright, now that everyone's **_well_** acquainted, we really must get going." Kakashi tried to divert.

Naruto and Sakura both grumbled and sulked while Sasuke continued walking away without a single word of acknowledgement. The sword on his back lightly tapping as he walked was the only sound he made.

As the group headed forwards along their path, Naruto turned to Sakura.

"The rumours about Barbarians might have been wrong, but they sure weren't wrong about elves. That bastard is as arrogant as they come." He whispered in her ear.

That made Sakura laugh, and at her laughter Naruto grinned in delight. Their enjoyment didn't last long however when Sasuke spoke up from ahead of them. "I heard that Loser!" he declared without so much as a backwards glance. Of course they'd forgotten elves had superb hearing. Sakura and Naruto glanced sideways at each other before bursting into another fit of laughter. At this Kakashi sighed. Maybe these three weren't the best choice for this quest? Only time would tell…

* * *

As the moon was hidden by cloud the campfire was the only thing that was lighting the small clearing that they'd chosen to camp at. The rest of the day, after everyone's initial meeting had been rather un-interesting. Naruto and Sakura had chatted away getting to know each other well, while Kakashi and Sasuke travelled mostly in silence with only Kakashi occasionally adding to the conversation when he wasn't engrossed in his scrolls. When they'd decided to camp for the night, nothing changed.

As Sakura observed her surroundings, she noticed that Kakashi was reading his scroll again, Sasuke was leaning against a tree watching the fire and Naruto was stuffing his face with some sort of stringy soup-like food that she'd never seen before. She on the other hand was going through her bag of vials, checking that they were all still there and ready to go if they ever needed.

"What are those?" Naruto piped up with a mouthful of food.

"They're healing potions." Sakura replied and she continued organising them.

"That's why I requested she join this quest. Sakura is the most powerful healer in all of the land" Kakashi interjected and that seemed to get even Sasuke's attention, so he continued. "Which is just as well since she's usually the one handing out injuries in the first place." He spoke with an amused light in his eyes. Almost like a proud father approving of their child's achievements.

Even Sasuke couldn't hide his curiosity or interest at Kakashi's praise for the barbarian woman and Sakura couldn't help the embarrassment mixed with pride tint her face.

"Really?" Naruto asked incredulously looking in wonder at the pink haired woman.

"I've seen her punch a giant out cold and break through the thickest armour with her battle axe. Honestly it scares me a bit." Kakashi confessed.

"Wow that's amazing! Can you show us Sakura Chan!?" Naruto pleaded with excitement.

"I don't think that here is either the time or place Loser." Sasuke admonished even though he too was curious to see Sakura's power for himself.

Sakura ignored him though, she wanted to show off her abilities. She'd worked her arse of for years building up her strength and healing abilities to get her to where she was today. She also wanted to impress Sasuke and at the same time wipe that smug look off his face.

"Sure, but only if you show me what you can do first. Kakashi picked us all for a reason right? Not just for our looks." She laughed at her own lame joke and Naruto grinned taking on the challenge.

"Yosh!" Naruto jumped up and began his introduction speech. "Prepared to be amazed!" he said clapping his hands together in a hand sign.

Sasuke snorted "I doubt that"

Naruto chose to ignore him, instead focussing on trying to impress Sakura. Kakashi watched the whole scene in amusement, wondering what the blonde was going to do next.

Naruto disappeared in a puff of smoke which exploded where he had been standing. As the smoke began to settle, there in the place that Naruto had stood seconds ago, was a very beautiful, but very naked blonde woman. She had the perfect body with a slim waist but womanly curves that for now were hidden by the smoke, but how long would that last?

At this Kakashi sweat dropped and Sasuke palmed his face. No one was impressed, especially not Sakura. Grinding her teeth as her eyebrow twitched, a dark aura suddenly hung around her.

Naruto not seeing this, poofed back into his normal (and fully clothed) form grinning proudly.

"So what do you think? Impressive right? I can change into any form I like." He boasted.

"What do I think?" Sakura whispered menacingly as she stomped over to the blonde.

Naruto didn't have time to react when Sakura punched him right in the face and sent him flying before he crashed into a tree ten metres away, cracking it where he landed. He had been rendered unconscious the moment her fist made contact.

"I think you're a moron!" Sakura fumed even though it was clear Naruto couldn't hear her.

"Sakura I think that was a bit much." Kakashi suggested, but with the look Sakura gave him, he wasn't going to push it further

Sakura feeling annoyed at Naruto's stunt, turned around to Sasuke like a lioness closing in on its prey. It was certainly not a look that Sasuke was used to and he found it intriguing, all the more so since she'd just displayed her impressive strength. She might have a dainty figure, but man that woman could pack a punch.

"So what can you do? Don't tell me you turn into naked women as well?" She growled.

Sasuke smirked, folding his arms across his chest. He was brimming with confidence.

"No, I have no need for such useless tricks." He replied.

Sakura wasn't sure if he was going to elaborate further upon that before he answered her suddenly. He didn't answer with words, but with actions. His dark black irises suddenly changed to a deep crimson red and before she knew it, the clearing, the campfire, Kakashi and Sasuke even, disappeared and she was left in complete darkness on her own with nothing but his red eyes boring into her.

Sakura tried to look away but found that there was nowhere to turn to, nowhere to run, there was only darkness. The darkness began to shift however, move and warp before it formed into water. Suddenly Sakura was surrounded by water, she was fully submerged with no sign of the surface. She tried to swim, but her heavy armour weighed her down and she was quickly running out of breath. She swung her arms frantically trying to reach out for something that would help her but found nothing. She suddenly realised she couldn't escape. Her super strength and healing couldn't help her here. The thought shocked her to her core and she gasped for air but found her lungs filled with water. She was going to die. There was no escape and she would die here.

 _No. I won't die. Not here._

The thoughts ran through her like a fire through a field. She wasn't going to give up. Stripping off her armour quickly she let it sink further below as she powered her energy into her limbs helping to propel her through the water. She still couldn't see the surface, but suddenly without knowing how she now rested on dry land. Sakura gasped for breath before choking out the water she'd inhaled. Her fingers dug into the soft sand that lay beneath her as the waves softly pushed against her legs.

Realizing that she wasn't alone she looked up, only to see Sasuke standing before her. He eyed her with a look of intrigue before he offered her his hand. Sakura accepted it gladly and without a word as he pulled her to her feet.

"Where are we?" Sakura asked. She was surprised to hear her voice didn't tremble like she thought it would considering her near death experience.

Sasuke smirked. "Inside your mind. This is all an illusion that I've created." He said plainly like it was nothing special.

Sakura's jaw dropped. _An illusion!?_ But she'd felt the water enter her lungs, felt the sand between her fingers. It all seemed so real. This man, no this ELF, was something else altogether. He was handsome, he was mysterious, but he was also very dangerous she decided.

Sakura's shocked reaction seemed to please Sasuke. She could tell by the look on his face before it appeared that he remembered something that didn't please him. "I've never encountered someone who could break out on their own before though." He said as if he was expecting her to reveal some secret trick. That confused Sakura.

"What do you mean?" she probed.

"Most people are rendered unconscious when they die in the illusion, but you broke out of it somehow, bringing you here to a place where you've connected back to me through the illusion. How?" he asks.

She can tell by his tone that he expects an answer and Sakura is racking her brain to try and find one. "I…I don't know. One moment I thought I was going to die, then I decided I wasn't going to go without a fight, and then I was here." She explained.

Sasuke's eyes seemed to be searching her, analysing if she was telling the truth or not. It made her feel extremely uncomfortable but at the same time thrilled. The way those dark eyes were focused on her made butterflies come to life in her stomach and she quickly turned away to hide the blush creeping to her face. If Sasuke saw it, he didn't say anything. How could she be reacting like this to him. He was and elf and she was a human, a barbarian, it was certainly not the usual.

Without any further words, Sasuke suddenly dissolved and so did the scenery around her until she was back in reality with the campfire in the clearing. She blinked a few times as her eyes adjusted to the light of the fire and her mind returned to her body. When she looked up Sakura noticed that Sasuke was still staring at her with those same dark and mysterious eyes as in the illusion. He was still trying to work her out it seemed. Turning her head to look around, she found Kakashi looking at her curiously and Naruto still unconscious a few metres away.

How much time had passed during the whole scenario she wondered?

As if sensing her unspoken question Sasuke spoke up "Only a few seconds have passed." He clarified.

"Oh…" she mouthed rather dumbly before taking a seat to take it all in. Sasuke certainly had a scary power if he could create illusions in people's minds like that. How could she compete with that? At least she wasn't as lame as Naruto, and Sasuke seemed mildly curious about her now. Suddenly a question pushed itself to the front of her mind so she turned to Sasuke.

"If you can do that, why do you carry all of those weapons? Your sword and Bow and arrows seem fairly unnecessary considering." She asked curiously.

He shrugged "It can be quite draining depending on how many people or how strong the illusions are. I often find that it's easier to simply defeat my enemies in combat rather than waste unnecessary energy."

It wasn't said with any arrogance; it was spoken as simple truth and Sakura thought that Sasuke must be an incredible fighter as well. Maybe she would have to have a friendly spar with him to find out one day. While she'd been thinking this, Sakura hadn't realized that she'd been staring unashamedly at him until Sasuke quirked an eyebrow at her.

"Eh!" she squeaked slightly in embarrassment before turning away and Sasuke chuckled lightly.

Kakashi pulled his nose out of his scroll and looked at the two before him. It finally seemed like Sasuke was getting along with someone other than himself. Maybe there was hope for their team yet he mused.


	2. Chapter 2

The next few days went by very similar to the first. Naruto and Sakura did most of the talking, while Kakashi and Sasuke were content to only add to the conversation when deemed necessary. Sakura thought she could count on one hand the amount of times that Sasuke had contributed to the conversation that day, but considering the first day he'd ignored them, she considered this a huge improvement.

Naruto suddenly whined loudly that he was getting bored before he turned to Kakashi "How long is this quest going to take!?" he demanded.

Kakashi sighed in slight annoyance at being interrupted from his reading. "As long as we're not attacked or delayed in any way we should reach the Toad Sage's mountain in a couple of months time." He clarified and then continued reading his scroll.

"Awww man!" Naruto moaned again making Sakura chuckle lightly. Then the blonde suddenly thought of something and jumped in the air with a fist pump. "Yeah I got it! Why don't we play a game to pass the time-ttebayo!" he announced.

Sakura noted that he seemed to add his catch phrase on the end of everything whenever he got excited.

Sasuke turned around with a look of annoyance. "What are you twelve or something? Stop being such a loser and focus on the task at hand."

That deflated Sakura a little as she'd been interested to see what Naruto was going to suggest. However like always Naruto was not deterred by the grumpy elf and continued his ramblings.

Grabbing Sakura's and Sasuke's shoulders he pulled them in so that the three were closely huddled together.

"We should see who can get that mask off Kakashi's face. I mean I know that sorcerers are meant to be mysterious and all, but come on! I haven't even seen him take it off to eat!" he whispered so that Kakashi who was ahead of them wouldn't hear.

That definitely perked up Sakura's interest, and she could see by the fact that Sasuke had stopped struggling to break from Naruto's hold that he was interested as well. Naruto grinned evilly then knowing that both of his companions were in on their little 'game'.

As the trio gradually lagged further and further behind their silver haired leader, they continued to whisper in hushed voices, plotting and planning.

"Ok, so we're all agreed, anything goes? May the best man-I mean person win-ttebayo!"

* * *

Two weeks after they'd begun their silent competition, the three young members of the group sat huddled around the fire all with sour and defeated looks on their faces. Kakashi had gone to the stream to bath so they were left to discuss their current predicament freely.

"How's that even possible?" Sakura whined while Naruto recounted how his attempts had failed yet again.

She looked over at Sasuke who was refusing to make eye contact with either of them. Even he had failed to de-mask the famous sorcerer.

How could none of them have managed to see beneath the mask even once? They had tried everything and all attempted multiple times, but no one had even gotten close. It didn't help that Kakashi had clued in to what they were doing and had even begun teasing the trio.

Sakura thought back to when Kakashi had finally confronted them about it.

 _"_ _You could have just asked you know?" he had told them after another unsuccessful attempt._

 _"_ _Really? Then will you show us?" they had asked._

 _"_ _Sure, but first what's the magic word?"_

 _"_ _Please!?" Sakura immediately answered._

 _"_ _Ramen!?" Naruto shouted with excitement._

 _Sasuke remained silent._

 _Kakashi chuckled "Nope, you're both wrong. Come back to me when you've worked it out" he said before walking away mysteriously._

"What do you think the magic word is?" Naruto asked as he laid down and lazily scratched his stomach.

Sakura crossed her legs, putting a finger to her lips in her thinking pose. "No idea, but I bet the answer is in one of those scrolls he's always reading." She finally answered.

"hnn. I doubt there's even a 'magic' word to begin with, he's just toying with us." was Sasuke's sullen response.

"Why would he lie?" Naruto demanded.

Sasuke glared at him "Why would I know Loser?"

"Bastard! I'm just about fed up with your attitude! Call me a loser one more time and I'm gonna punch that smug face of yours." Naruto challenged.

"Loser" came Sasuke's snide response.

Before Sakura knew what was happening, Naruto had pounced at Sasuke and the two had begun to fight in a scuffle on the ground. Truth be told Sakura had a hard time telling who's was winning as they rolled around throwing punches at each other. They seemed fairly equally matched but Sakura wasn't about to let them find out who would win by allowing the fight to continue any further.

Stomping up to them she grabbed Naruto by the collar and yanked him off first before she forcefully shoved Sasuke away.

"Naruto you're an idiot!" she scolded before turning on Sasuke and pointing an accusing finger at him

"And YOU! You're a jerk!" she shot. "You both need to grow up and stop acting like twelve year old's!"

Naruto and Sasuke looked at her in shock before looking away.

"Sorry Sakura Chan"

Without any further words the trio went back to their respective places around the fire. It was an awkward silence for a few moments before Naruto's charm broke through and help ease the tension.

"You know I've heard rumours about this Toad Sage's Mountain. They say that there's treasure!"

"I've never heard anything like that before, but I'd never even heard of it before this quest. If there is treasure, do you think that there's something guarding it?" She asked

"Most likely" Sasuke answered.

They considered what would await them at the Toad Sage's Mountain. If there was treasure, there would almost certainly be something protecting it. They would have to investigate what Kakashi knew later on but for now they pondered in silence. Sakura had been lost in thought when Naruto suddenly spoke again.

"So Sakura Chan, do you have a boyfriend?"

Where had that come from?

"No!" she snapped in embarrassment.

Naruto beamed at her then "Then wanna be my girlfriend?"

He grinned like she'd already accepted his offer.

"No idiot!" she yelled as she violently shoved him away. Her face was growing hotter by the second and she stared intently at the fire intentionally avoiding both men's faces. How could Naruto ask her that!? And in front of Sasuke!? What would Sasuke be thinking right now? Wait why should she care?

She was saved from her hell when Kakashi returned to camp. "Who's next?" he asked.

"I'll go!" Sakura said as she shot up and quickly walked away towards the stream without so much as a backwards glance.

Kakashi turned to Naruto and Sasuke "What's up with her?" he asked.

Naruto looked thoroughly depressed and didn't answer while Sasuke shrugged like it didn't interest him. Kakashi looked from the two men to Sakura's bag of belongings that remained near the fire. In her rush she'd completely forgotten to grab her stuff. _Well this is not going to end well_. Kakashi thought to himself.


	3. Chapter 3

Upon Kakashi's observation that Sakura had gone to bathe without her belongings, Naruto had jumped to his feet in excitement.

"I'll take her stuff to her!" he proclaimed with a grin.

"Like hell you will!" Sasuke snapped.

"Why not?" Naruto demanded.

"It's improper" he responded.

"He's got a point Naruto. She's just going to have to sort it out herself." Kakashi interjected calmly.

Naruto looked thoroughly annoyed at the other two men. Why did they have to spoil his fun anyway? He was just trying to be a good friend and bring her stuff to her…and maybe sneak a little peak while he was at it…

Naruto grinned mischievously as ideas began running through his head.

"Naruto, what are you planning?" Kakashi eyed the young shapeshifter warily.

"Nothing! Natures calling!" He yelled over his shoulder as he ran away towards the trees to 'go to the bathroom'.

Kakashi sighed. He wasn't ignorant, he knew exactly what Naruto was up to. Despite this Naruto had already run off and Kakashi figured that Sakura would be able to handle herself. What he hadn't been expecting was for Sasuke to follow suit not long after Naruto.

"Where are you off to?" Kakashi couldn't help the confused look he gave Sasuke.

The elf shrugged without answering and walked away in the same direction as Naruto had just moments before.

* * *

Sasuke caught up to Naruto quickly. It wasn't that hard to track him down with his heightened elf senses. It wasn't surprising that Naruto was sneaking ever closer towards the stream where their female companion would be.

"What do you think you're doing?" Sasuke demanded when he caught up. He stood to block Naruto's way which earnt him a glare from the blonde.

"I could be asking YOU the same thing!" Naruto retorted. He eyed Sasuke with the same look of distaste that Sasuke gave him.

"You're not going any further." Sasuke stated firmly.

Naruto was about to argue when realization dawned on his face. He grinned at Sasuke like he knew something he didn't.

"You came to peak on her too!" he stated with a sinister smile.

Sasuke was taken aback by Naruto's accusation. "What!? No Idiot! I'm here to make sure you don't. It's improper." Sasuke snapped.

"Improper-schmoper! Admit it! You have a thing for her too!" he argued and he wiggled his eyebrows up and down in a suggestive manner.

Sasuke glared at him, his eyes piercing daggers into Naruto. "I'm an elf, I have no reason to be interested in a human like her."

Naruto laughed at that. "Ha! Hahaaahaaaaaaaa! You think being an elf means you're above being attracted to a hot woman like her? Whatever man! Well if you're not interested, suit yourself, but if you snooze you lose!" he laughed as he sprinted away from Sasuke before he could stop him.

"That idiot!" Sasuke hissed as he took up chase after the blonde.

* * *

 _Now where could she be_? Naruto asked himself.

He'd reached the banks of the stream but remained hidden in the tree's. In the corner of his eye he detected movement in the stream to his left. Darting in that direction, Naruto quickly found what he was looking for.

The silhouette of a woman was obvious in the middle of the water. She splashed the water around her playfully and danced around on the water's surface gracefully.

Wait…WHAT!?

Naruto might not have been a genius, but he certainly knew that humans most certainly couldn't walk, let alone dance on water. Upon closer inspection of the woman's form, Naruto noted that the woman had a very different figure to Sakura. His attention was immediately drawn to her large breasts. Yup this definitely wasn't Sakura. This woman also had longer hair which floated beautifully behind her as she continued her glittering above the waters surface.

Whoever she was, Naruto thought that she was the most beautiful creature he'd ever laid eyes on and he forgot completely about why he'd come down to the stream in the first place, his eyes glued to the woman in the river. Every bend and dip, every spin and turn was hypnotic, almost like she'd become one with the water as it flowed around her.

Sasuke suddenly appeared beside him and grabbed Naruto by the scruff of his neck. He looked like he was going to begin his attack on the shapeshifter when he suddenly caught sight of the woman in the water.

"A Nymph?" he whispered surprised, his eyes widening in shock ever so slightly. What was a nymph doing here? And where was Sakura then if not here? He watched in slight fascination, before he realized what he was doing and he quickly averted his gaze.

Not really knowing where else to look, he took up glaring at Naruto again.

"Stop gawking like that you Loser!" Sasuke snapped as he thumped Naruto over the head.

"OW! What the hell bastard!" Naruto hissed a little too loudly as he glared at Sasuke.

The two men glared at each other, daring the other to make the first move. The tension was quickly building until something in their peripherals caught their attention and they both turned in unison. The nymph had overheard them arguing and was quickly making her escape to the other side of the river.

"Now look what you've done!" Naruto yelled pointing rudely at Sasuke.

"What are you two doing here?" came an all too familiar female voice.

"Sakura?" Naruto yelped in surprise which was heavily laced with guilt.

Sakura approached them, fully clothed in her old clothes. Of course she'd opted to wear her old clothes back to camp since she'd forgotten her other belongings. At the tone in Naruto's voice Sakura's eyes immediately narrowed in suspicion.

She then took in the surroundings and the two men in front of her both looking shocked and embarrassed…like they'd been caught red-handed.

"You were trying to perve weren't you!" She accused, the anger in her building quickly.

"Sakura Chan you got it all wrong!" Naruto pleaded as she stormed up towards the two of them with fists clenched.

Even Sasuke was at a loss for words to explain their current situation, so he cautiously took a step backwards.

"SHANAROU!" She yelled before she leapt at the two before her.

* * *

"That was all your fault!" Sasuke spat at Naruto as he nursed his head in his hand.

Naruto looked just as sore as Sasuke with a massive egg on his head where Sakura had clobbered him as well. Sakura had already stormed off back to camp after she'd dealt with her two companions, leaving the two men to walk back nursing their wounds.

"It was your fault we got caught!" Naruto argued.

"I had nothing to do with it!"

"Who do you think she was?" Naruto asked curiously.

"Tsk. Who cares."

"She was so beautiful." Naruto said wistfully and his eyes glazed over slightly.

That made Sasuke chuckle in amusement and Naruto whipped around to stare at him.

"What's so funny?" Naruto demanded.

"You're such a loser. First you're in love with a human, and now you're in love with a nymph. What's next a frog?"

Naruto laughed then as well. Mostly at how lame Sasuke's sense of humour was, but partly at how ridiculous it really was.

"Haha, well I can't help it. It was love at first sight ya know?" he said a little embarrassed.

Sasuke looked at Naruto like he'd grown a second head.

"How can you fall in love with someone at first sight? Besides you'll probably never see her again." Sasuke wasn't mocking Naruto, he was genuinely curious to hear the blonde's answer.

Naruto shrugged. "I dunno, you can't always explain these things."

"Hn."

"Soooo….What about you and Sakura Chan?" Naruto grinned and jabbed an elbow into Sasuke's side.

Sasuke's expression quickly turned from friendly to irritated, his eyes narrowing.

"I'm an elf, she's a human, end of story."

"Sounds like denial to me-ttebayo!" Naruto continued cheerily, ignoring Sasuke's hard glare.

"Ah I see you've both finally returned…and worse for wear as well I see" Kakashi observed as the elf and shapeshifter entered the camp.

Kakashi looked slightly annoyed, while Sakura was already lying down in her sleeping bag with her back to them. It was obvious that she was still angry at them. Naruto chuckled awkwardly while rubbing the back of his neck and Sasuke remained silent as they made their ways into their own sleeping bags.

Kakashi sighed. Really! How on earth were they going to complete this quest if they all kept fighting like this? One minute it was Naruto and Sasuke fighting, then next Sakura and the boys. All Kakashi wanted to was to reach the Toad Sages Mountain in one piece and get the sacred Icha Icha scroll and return to life as it was before. Was that too much to ask for?

Before long, Kakashi joined the others in retiring to sleep. Crawling into his sleeping bag, it didn't take long for the sorcerer to fall into a deep slumber.

* * *

As the group slept peacefully under the stars, they were blissfully unaware of the curious eyes that observed them from the shadows.


	4. Chapter 4

It hadn't taken long for Kakashi and Sasuke to work out that they were being followed, however the other two still remained completely unaware. Naruto and Sakura were chatting with a jovial excitement about their favourite foods, while the other two remained ever vigilant.

"Want me to take them out?" Sasuke asked Kakashi, a tinge of excitement in his voice.

"No, I have a plan." Kakashi informed quietly so that no one else could hear them before he rose his staff and smacked it into the ground harshly. At the contact with the ground, a glossy bubble began to blow from the top of the staff. It wasn't a very big bubble, only the size of an egg, but as quickly as it had formed it sped off into the trees and disappeared. At the sound of the staff clicking against the ground, Naruto and Sakura halted and turned to look curiously at the sorcerer. Naruto opened his mouth to ask what was going on when he was cut off by the sound of a loud pitched squeal not far off.

The bubble returned into their line of vision as it darted out of the trees only now it was swollen in size and containing a person within. Once the bubble with the intruder reached the group of travellers, Kakashi clacked the staff against the ground once more and the bubble burst, dropping the person inside on the ground rather unceremoniously.

"Eeeeeep!" a young woman's voice cried as she landed with a loud thud. She quickly shot her head up to look at the four people surrounding her. Her opaque lavender eyes shot out from beneath her long midnight hair with a look that bordered between surprise and fear. She definitely looked the part of a cornered animal surrounded by predators.

Naruto and Sasuke's eyes widened considerably as they both noted that she was the nymph that they had accidently come across the previous night. Sakura who had never laid eyes on the other woman before was blown away by the nymph's sudden appearance. The only one who didn't look shocked was Kakashi and he quickly approached the nymph with a stern look.

"Why were you following us?" he asked in a tone that said he expected an answer.

The nymph got to her feet cautiously.

"I-I was curious." She said, her voice was soft and a little shaky, but that wasn't surprising under the circumstance.

Kakashi looked like he was about to ask more questions but Naruto cut him off "Hi, I'm Naruto Uzumaki, the greatest shapeshifter in the world-ttebayo! What's your name?" His loud voice barely hiding his excitement.

The nymphs eyes widened in surprise at Naruto but quickly closed as she gave him a friendly smile "My name is Hinata"

Naruto beamed "Nice to meet you Hinata!" but then he remembered last night when he'd first seen the nymph before adding a little more shyly "Well…er…officially I mean."

"What do you mean officially?" Sakura demanded, clearly annoyed that she didn't know what was happening.

By this stage Hinata was blushing bright red from embarrassment. She knew that Naruto and the elf had seen her by the river the previous night. She'd become aware of their presence from their arguing and had subsequently fled to hide, however once she was able to, she'd tracked them back to their camp to see who it was that had stumbled upon her secret place. It was when she finally came across their camp that she found herself struck with fascination. She'd never seen a more unusual group of people in one place. In particular she found her attention drawn to the young blonde, a content smile adorning his features as he slept. That had been the moment she'd decided to follow them.

Naruto scratched the back of his head nervously. He could practically feel everyone's eyes boring into him then. Kakashi and Sakura wanted answers while Sasuke's glare was silently screaming at Naruto to keep his mouth shut.

"Well…Um…Hey is anyone else hungry? I'm starving-ttebayo!" he tried to divert.

"Don't change the subject!" Sakura said scowling.

Naruto looked like he was struggling to come up with an answer so he glanced nervously towards Sasuke using his eyes to plead for the elf's assistance. Of course his plea was met with a blank stare and silence.

"They stumbled upon my sanctuary by the river last night" Hinata's soft voice spoke up in order to aid the blonde before her.

Sakura blinked in confusion. _They? By the river_? she ran over the information in her mind for a moment before realization dawned on her. The nymph was referring to Naruto _and Sasuke_ who had been lurking suspiciously around the river when she bumped into them last night. That meant that they hadn't actually been trying to perve on her, they'd actually been…

Sakura's eyes widened in shock, her mouth dropped open slightly as she stared at Naruto, before turning her gaze to Sasuke who looked like he was suddenly very interested in a rock near his feet but otherwise emotionless.

Kakashi interrupted the awkward silence. "I'm sorry but curious or not, we can't afford to have tag-alongs, it's too dangerous. You should return back to your sanctuary." his tone was stern but not uncaring.

"Aw man come on Kakashi!" Naruto whined loudly earning him a surprised look from Hinata.

"You're headed towards the Toad Sages' Mountain right? I-I can help you." Hinata interjected a little nervously.

Kakashi frowned "How?"

"The Toad Sage is known all too well to us nymphs unfortunately. I know what his weaknesses are." she blushed slightly but didn't elaborate further, waiting to see Kakashi's response first.

Kakashi looked like he was considering her words for a moment before he finally sighed in resignation. The successful completion of this quest was the most important thing, and if this nymph could help them achieve their goal, then who was he to deny her?

"It will be dangerous so we can't promise your safety. Are you still willing to join?" He asked her.

Hinata nodded without a second thought.

"Yosh! Welcome to the team Hinata Chan!" Naruto grinned with excitement

* * *

Confused was an understatement.

Sakura was a whirlpool of emotions at the introduction of Hinata to the group.

After their initial introduction Sakura had quickly befriended the raven haired nymph, bonding with her as only two women in a group of men could. Sakura quickly found that she really liked Hinata. She was shy and quiet but was always kind and eager to help. She was a beautiful person, in and out and that was the problem.

Jealousy.

Why? Because the nymph was exceptionally attractive, and as Sakura already knew both Naruto and Sasuke hadn't been perving on her but on Hinata. It hurt Sakura's ego far more than she was willing to admit even to herself. She was jealous of the fact that Sasuke's attention had been on the nymph that night and not her. It was stupid she knew. Before the truth had come out she'd been furious at both men, but now, she felt like an idiot.

Sakura knew that she wasn't womanly and graceful like Hinata was. She was loud, rough and dressed in heavy armour much like a man. She was a barbarian after all and this was how all barbarian women were. It didn't help her from feeling very inadequate in the presence of Hinata though. No wonder Sasuke hadn't shown any interest in her when there were many more attractive and lady like women out there to choose from.

Luckily for Sakura, it was obvious that Hinata was interested in Naruto. Every time the blonde man spoke, Hinata's attention was glued to him. She would smile and giggle and often blush when she thought no one was looking. On top of that Sasuke hadn't shown any more interest towards her then he did anyone else. Not exactly a confidence booster, but it gave Sakura a small sense of relief.

Sakura who had been lost in her day dreaming, didn't realise she was staring at him until Sasuke turned to look at her. For a moment their eyes connected and Sakura's heart jolted in her chest. Embarrassed she quickly looked away but the dark ebony eyes kept staring into her soul in her mind. Get a grip Sakura. He's an elf and you're a human, a barbarian as well! It's never going to happen! She told herself.

* * *

Sasuke stared after Sakura had turned away. He'd caught her staring at him a few times today already, however this was the first time that he'd purposely caught her gaze when he'd otherwise normally ignore her. It was starting to irritate him although he wasn't exactly sure why. As he watched their pink haired companion walking off ahead of him something bothered him more than her constant gazing.

Something about her was off. If he had to pin point it, it was the way she was walking, her demeanour and the smile that she was giving everyone. It was all fake. It didn't look like anyone else had noticed yet, but to Sasuke's keen eyes it was obvious. Normally he wouldn't care, but the closer that they got to the Toad Sage's Mountain, the more alert they had to be for potential enemies, and if there was something wrong with Sakura, then she could be more of a hindrance than a help. At least this is how he tried to rationalise it to himself.

He would have to confront her about her strange behaviour later but for now, it wasn't a problem, and with any luck, she'd sort it out herself and he wouldn't need to intervene.

* * *

Naruto was just about giddy with excitement with Hinata joining their quest. He'd promptly spent the rest of the day fighting for her attention, not that it had been hard. He was drawn to how beautiful she was, but there was a warmth and gentleness to her that he was also deeply attracted to and he also loved the way that she would giggle or blush when he spoke.

He was so eager to impress her, and not really knowing how to he decided to approach the others one by one for their advise and opinions. Naruto knew that Sasuke was popular among women, so he figured that the elf was the best person to start with.

"Hey Sasuke, women are always fawning over you right?"

Sasuke shot a glare at Naruto, neither confirming nor denying. Instead it looked more like he was waiting for Naruto to get to the point.

"How do you do it?" Naruto pushed.

"How should I know Loser."

"Come on man! Help a brother out-ttebayo!" Naruto whined.

"With what?" Sasuke demanded.

"With asking Hinata out duh!" Naruto explained as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Perhaps it was, but to the elf it hadn't been.

"Why do you need my help to do that? Why don't you just ask her out yourself?" He was genuinely perplexed as to why Naruto was asking for his help.

"Because I thought you'd be good with this kind of stuff."

"That is the stupidest thing I think I've ever heard"

"Why? Sakura Chan hasn't been able to keep her eyes off you this whole time! You must have a secret to getting them all googly eyed for you!"

At Naruto's words Sasuke glared.

"I don't know! Go bug someone else!"

Naruto groaned and without another word he left Sasuke's side realizing that he wasn't going to get anything useful out of the grumpy elf. Not one to give up however Naruto wandered over towards Kakashi.

"Hey Kakashi, what do you know about women?" he asked the silver hair sorcerer.

Kakashi turned to look at the young shapeshifter with a look that bordered between amusement and curiosity.

"I might know a thing or two…" he said mysteriously. Truth be told he enjoyed playing with his companion's minds whenever the opportunity arose. Just like he'd played with them about his mask, he was going to play with Naruto and his ladies troubles.

Naruto squinted at Kakashi in confusion at his vague answer.

"Well?" he demanded after he lost patience waiting for Kakashi to elaborate further.

"Well…they're different to men…" Kakashi chuckled.

Naruto was now glaring at the sorcerer.

"Obviously! But do you have any helpful hints for me?"

"Well it's never a good idea to piss them off…definitely avoid that."

"Are you kidding me!? You're no help at all either!"

Before Naruto could storm off Kakashi spoke up. "Why don't you ask Sakura. She is a woman after all."

That was a great idea! Why hadn't he gone to her in the first place? Quickly jogging to catch up to Sakura who was in the lead with Hinata, Naruto apologized to Hinata for interupting before he tugged on Sakura's arm and dragged her out of the nymph's ear shot.

"Hey Sakura Chan, you're a girl right? He'd whispered to her quietly as they walked so that no one else could hear.

Sakura frowned before replying sarcastically "You're a genius!"

Naruto chuckled nervously. "Haha, what I meant to say is that you can help me ask Hinata Chan out right?"

Sakura looked surprised at the question but the look of surprise was quickly replaced with a smirk. "What? Don't want to be my boyfriend anymore?" she teased, but it was obvious by her tone that she was amused not upset.

"Come on Sakura Chan! Please!? I'll help you win over that bastard Sasuke…" he offered, hoping to entice Sakura.

Sakura blushed and was so thrown out by Naruto's words that she waved her hands awkwardly in front of her face as if she was trying to swipe away his statement and her embarrassment. She quickly recovered and took on a blank expression but her voice when she spoke still gave away how flustered she was.

"Wha-What are you talking about!" she demanded.

Naruto seeing he'd hit the nail on the head, saw his opportunity and grinned. "Do we have a deal?"

Sakura glared at Naruto before sighing in resignation. "Fine.."


	5. Chapter 5

The more Sasuke thought about Sakura's behaviour that day, the more he became annoyed.

That damn human.

One minute she was acting weird and faking smiles, and the next she was back to her cheery self, smiling brightly at her companions with no real explanation for the change. Well that wasn't entirely true. She had returned to normal after Naruto had pulled her aside and had their little quiet chat, so Sasuke knew that it had something to do with the shapeshifter, but he wasn't sure why. What had Naruto said to her to change her mood so?

Sasuke was gradually getting more and more frustrated at not knowing the answer until a strange thought struck him. He had been annoyed because she'd been staring, yes, but more importantly he was annoyed that when she started to behave a little strangely, he was the only one to notice. It aggravated him even more that he had wanted to find out why. He justified that he only cared because it was necessary to the success of their quest and that she had to concentrate on the task at hand and not on swooning over him, yet it still didn't sit right with him. Alas Naruto had stepped in and now the problem was solved, or so Sasuke told himself.

He shook his head as if he could shake away the thoughts. He needed to stop thinking about the matter further and focus. What did it matter how his companions were feeling, or why? They had a mission and until it was done, Sasuke could not afford to let his defences down and get distracted by such trivial things as friends or feelings.

Aside from Sakura, Sasuke found his attention dwelling on the newest member of the team. He couldn't really understand why Kakashi had allowed the nymph to join their quest. It seemed rather pointless if all she could offer them was information. There had to be more to her that Kakashi could see, after all he had carefully picked out each member of their group very carefully for their skills. Each of them were the best of the best, otherwise he himself would not have been summoned. So what did the nymph really have to offer their group? Sasuke was determined to find out one way or another.

"What are you up to?" Sasuke suddenly demanded of the sorcerer beside him.

Kakashi turned to look at him curiously. "Hmm?"

Sasuke nodded his head in the direction of Hinata. Kakashi's eyes lazily followed the direction Sasuke had indicated before falling upon the nymph. He didn't need Sasuke to elaborate further to understand what the elf wanted to know.

"She can help us." He shrugged

Sasuke's eyes narrowed at Kakashi but the sorcerer looked unfazed by his glare.

"You know more than you are letting on. Tell me." He curtly demanded.

That made Kakashi frown. Yes he already knew well enough that Sasuke was about as arrogant, condescending and rude as they come, but the sorcerer hadn't been expecting the elf's foul temper to be directed at him. Still regardless of how rude Sasuke was, Kakashi knew that if he didn't answer the elf, it would only serve to make the elf even more volatile, and no one wanted that. Sighing in resignation Kakashi decided to answer him.

"Haven't you detected her nature energy? As a nymph she has a natural bond with nature and its energy which could come in handy, not to mention the information she has on the Toad Sage"

"She might not have the ability to control it." Sasuke's reply came as bluntly as his stare.

Kakashi shook his head. "You shouldn't underestimate others so easily."

"Whatever, I just want to get this quest over and done with already." He shot curtly before walking away from the sorcerer indicating that the conversation was now over.

Kakashi watched on as Sasuke walked ahead to join the others. As much as Sasuke's arrogance frustrated Kakashi, it reminded him of himself when he was younger. Kakashi had come a long way since then however and he was not the same cocky brat that he'd once been. If only he could imbed the lessons he'd learned onto Sasuke. If Sasuke couldn't learn the importance of team work and learn to trust in others, then he would remain the same and would continue down a lonely and dark path. But as Kakashi watched his younger companions ahead of him he held hope for the young elf. If there were any people in the world who could help change the elf for the better it was them. Both Naruto and Sakura with their warm hearts and fierceness to protect those precious to them were perhaps the only people who could possibly sway Sasuke.

Kakashi watched with enjoyment as they all interacted. Both Naruto and Sakura had quickly befriended Hinata, however Sasuke had made no attempt at all, not surprisingly, but at least he was participating in the friendly banter between him and Naruto while the two women giggled with amusement at them. Kakashi thought that he even saw the shadow of a smile on Sasuke's lips as Naruto yelled in exasperation at the elf. Yes, there was hope

Kakashi's thoughts were interrupted as his senses detected another presence nearby. Friend of foe he couldn't tell, but they were quickly closing in the distance. They were so fast that Kakashi barely had time to detect their approach, let alone prepare for them. Swinging his staff out to face the intruders and Sasuke cocked and arrow ready to shoot. Their movement alerted the others and Sakura unbuckled her battle axe to have it poised, ready in her right hand, Hinata had taken a defensive stance with her palms facing forwards and Naruto pulled out his sword.

As two menacing figures leapt onto the road ahead of them, Sasuke let loose an arrow at the tallest man's head quickly followed by a second towards the shorter man with the same deadly speed and accuracy. If either of the arrows had landed, they would have most certainly landed death blows, but instead both arrows hung in the hand of the tallest of the strangers, his face displaying a wicket grin.

"Always one for warm welcomes aren't you Sasuke Kun." Spoke the man with a wicked grin. He looked much like a cat who'd found a mouse to play with the way that the smile curled up to reveal sharp teeth. His long black hair hung about him like a messy curtain and his purple eye makeup enhanced the golden eyes that gleamed with danger and excitement.

"You're supposed to be dead." Sasuke snapped at the stranger with annoyance.

"Yet here I am." The man replied un-phased by Sasuke's accusation.

"Who the hell are you!" Naruto suddenly blurted

The second stranger, the one with the silver hair and large round glasses was the one to respond to the blonde shapeshifter.

"This is Lord Orochimaru, you would do well to show him the respect he deserves."

"And who are you?" Sakura demanded bravely. She hadn't let her guard down and was still brandishing her battle axe with the same poise as a lioness ready to pounce. She had known that the strangers were clearly bad news when Sasuke had attacked, however when it was revealed that one of them was the infamous Necromancer, Lord Orochimaru, she knew that things had gone from bad to worse.

"I'm Kabuto, and you must be the famous Sakura Haruno of the Barbarian tribes? I've heard some very interesting things about you and your other companions as well. Naruto Uzumaki, and Kakashi Hatake. My what a very interesting bunch, but I'm unfamiliar with you." Kabuto directed his statement towards Hinata as if waiting for her to fill him in.

Naruto took a protective step in front of Hinata.

"What's it to you anyways?" Naruto challenged.

Kabuto sniggered as he pushed his glasses back up the bridge of his nose. The reflection of the light caught on the glass and made it near impossible to see his eyes as they analysed each member of the group.

"Enough with the chit chat, I'm here for business." Orochimaru snapped impatiently.

Everyone was weary as they waited for him to continue.

"I know where it is you're going. There's something that the Toad Sage has that I require and you can get it for me."

"I fail to see how that's our concern." Kakashi voice did not waver as he spoke to Orochimaru.

Orochimaru snickered and tilted his head ever so slightly in amusement.

"In exchange for helping me, I can help you get what you want."

Sasuke who had be silent up until now decided to speak up.

"My patience is wearing thin, hurry up and get to the point." He commanded as if he was the one in charge.

Sakura looked towards Sasuke curiously wondering how on earth he was familiar enough with the infamous Orochimaru to be so brisk and commanding with the Necromancer.

Orochimaru did not seem pleased by Sasuke's curt tone and his eyes narrowed ever so slightly. He otherwise ignored Sasuke and continued talking with Kakashi.

"I know where the Toad Sage hides his scrolls. I'll tell you where but in return I want you to collect another particular scroll for me. Do we have a deal Kakashi?"

Kakashi looked as though he was considering the Necromancer's words very carefully. Was he considering co-operating with him, and if he chose not to then what?

"I've already got all the help I need…Besides…" Kakashi hesitated a moment as he glanced towards Sasuke to gauge his reaction. Sasuke was as cold and emotionless as ever showing nothing outwardly towards either the group or the snake lord.

"We don't help criminals." He finished

Orochimaru laughed at that. "Well that is interesting indeed. I think you'll reconsider though…The scroll I'm after pertains information about certain…well lets just say that I'm not the only one who could benefit from the information in the scroll." At this Orochimaru glanced pointedly at Sasuke.

Everyone waited for Sasuke the respond and respond he did.

"I thought I made it clear last time what would happen should you cross my path again." He crossed his arms over his chest as he glared down the Snake Lord.

Orochimaru's eye narrowed and any appearance of civility he had before quickly disappeared.

"As arrogant as always, but I care not for your threats Elf prince." And then turning back to Kakashi he continued with an evil grin.

"The scroll has information regarding The Red Prince."


	6. Chapter 6

"Who's the Red Prince?" Naruto interrupted.

"Shhh Naruto" Sakura hushed as she waited for Orochimaru to continue further but the Snake Lord was simply grinning at the group with a look of deep satisfaction.

Sakura didn't need to look towards Sasuke to tell what his reaction was to the name as she could feel the dark aura and killing intent coming from him almost immediately. Sakura nervously glanced towards the elf, and saw that his jaw was clenched, eyes narrowed and his left hand tightly wound around the hilt of his sword ready to strike.

Sakura had never seen so much raw emotion on the elf's face before, but clearly this "Red Prince" was a chink in his armour.

"Talk, before I cut out that wretched snake tongue of yours" Sasuke hissed.

"Sasuke, let's not be rash - " Kakashi began

"I wasn't talking to you Sorcerer" Sasuke cut off Kakashi, not once breaking his stance or his eye contact with Orochimaru.

Orochimaru chuckled "What if I told you I could bring him back?"

Sasuke remained silent, waiting for Orochimaru to continue.

"But in order to do so I need those scrolls from the Toad Sage." He finished.

Again Sasuke remained silent, his hand never leaving his sword.

Kakashi cut through "Raising the dead is against the laws of the realm, let alone the laws of nature. There is no bargain to be struck here and I've heard enough. Leave now." He commanded with more authority then anyone had heard from him before.

Orochimaru smiled wickedly at the sorcerer.

"Very well Kakashi, I'll humour you this time." And without another word, both he and Kabuto disappeared from sight.

Sakura let out the breath she didn't realize she'd been holding in during the confrontation. Watching Sasuke warily she could see that he was still as a statue, still in the same pose as before, only now his head was lowered just enough that his eyes were hidden beneath his bangs.

Something just didn't feel right.

Kakashi strolled over to Sasuke and placed a hand on his shoulder. "You know he's –"

"I don't care" Sasuke cut the sorcerer off with a scowl and yanked his shoulder away from the sorcerer.

"Sasuke - " Sakura began tentatively as she stepped closer towards him.

"I don't care for anything you have to say either…Human!" Sasuke spat at her, freezing Sakura in her tracks.

Without another word, Sasuke stormed off away from the group continuing further along the road without them.

Everyone looked to each other with looks of concern and worry, none really knowing what to do about the angry Elf.

"Who's the Red Prince?" Naruto asked again with a frown.

Kakashi sighed "The Red Prince is Sasuke's older brother Itachi Uchiha, the original heir to the throne."

"Why is the Bastard so worked up about him?" Naruto pushed.

"It's a little complicated" Kakashi explained.

"Complicated or not, I can't just sit by and watch my friend struggle like that! He looked like he was seriously considering helping that slimy creep before you sent him away."

Kakashi's eyebrows nit closer together at Naruto's words. "I'm afraid that's exactly what Orochimaru wanted. He knows exactly what to say to manipulate Sasuke so now more than ever we're going to have to work together as a team."

Naruto nodded. He didn't fully understand the situation, but he knew that his friend needed him. Without another word, the blonde shapeshifter sped off after the Elf.

"Eh? Wait up Naruto!" Sakura yelled out after the blonde but he was already too far away to hear.

Before she could begin her chase after both men Kakashi put a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"Let's not go overcrowding Sasuke right now." He persuaded.

Sakura pouted, but knew better then to argue with the sorcerer. Her feelings might be hurt from the Elf's cruel words towards her, but it didn't make her care for him any less. In fact it only spurned her to care more. Despite this she could see the wisdom in Kakashi's words and so with a resigned sigh, she watched as her blonde friend raced on ahead towards the Elf.

"Hey Sasuke! Wait up!" Naruto's loud voice carried as the shapeshifter caught up to the elf.

They were far enough ahead of the others that they were practically out of sight, let alone earshot.

"Get lost Loser" Sasuke barked as he continued his furious march forward.

He wasn't interested in Naruto right now, in fact the only thing he was interested in, was getting as far away from the blonde, and his other companions as possible.

"Bastard, I said wait up!" Naruto continued.

Sasuke completely ignored Naruto when he finally caught up, preferring instead to pretend that the annoying shapeshifter wasn't there. Why couldn't they just leave him alone? Hadn't he made it obvious he wanted to be left alone. Solitude was his longest and dearest friend. The pain of being alone and suffering alone was so familiar to him that he no longer knew what real friendship was.

Naruto trotted alongside Sasuke for a few moments without uttering a single word. An astonishing feat considering Naruto's loud and over-the-top personality, but it was refreshing and not entirely unpleasant.

"You shouldn't have snapped at Sakura like that ya know...She really cares about you. We all do."

Of course Naruto wasn't going to stay quiet long! Sasuke didn't know whether to be impressed that the blonde had lasted as long as he did, or angry at himself for expecting anything more.

Sasuke turned to his companion with a scowl that would have sent most people running "What does it matter to you!?"

Naruto was undeterred by Sasuke's scowl.

"It matters because I don't want to see the people I care about hurt" Naruto explained.

"You should mind your own business."

"It is my business when it comes to my friends!"

"We are not friends" – the words were out of Sasuke's mouth before he could think them through. Did he really mean that or was he just trying to push Naruto away? The line was beginning to blur even for him.

"What do you mean? Of course we are!" Naruto exclaimed.

"Once this stupid quest is over, there is no reason for us to ever see each other again." Sasuke stated bluntly. It wasn't said with any form of emotion, just cold hard truth.

Naruto shook his head "Man Sasuke! You really are dense! You can't get rid of me that easily dattebayo!"

The grin that was lighting up his face would have been infectious to anyone else, but not to Sasuke. It only served to make the elf more furious.

"Why can't you just leave me the hell alone already!?"

Naruto's grin disappeared and turned into a frown.

"What's the big deal!? I know you're a bastard and all but what gives? Why do you keep shutting us out?"

"Because I WANT TO BE LEFT ALONE!" he shouted furiously at Naruto, his eyes shifting from charcoal to blood red in an instant.

That stopped Naruto in his tracks, not because of the look of absolute anger on Sasuke's face, or even the change in eye colour, but from the harsh words that had come from the elf. Naruto couldn't believe his ears. Why would anyone ever wish to be alone? Naruto knew the pain of loneliness perhaps better than anyone and it broke his heart to hear of anyone, even a bastard like Sasuke wishing for that pain.

That jolted Naruto into action. Before Sasuke could turn and walk away again, Naruto's arm shot out, roughly grabbing onto the elf's arm so that he couldn't move.

"You don't mean that." He warned, his voice was low and gruff and full of emotion but he stood as still as a statue, holding Sasuke in place as well.

Sasuke's look of anger transformed into rage and hatred, and he quickly moved to wrench his arm away from the Shapeshifter but found it impossible to do so. How was Naruto's grasp so strong?

"LET GO – " Sasuke's words were caught midway when he saw the dangerous look in Naruto's eyes. They had changed and were no longer ocean blue, but blazing orange, his pupil now a thin slit like an animal's. Sasuke had never seen the likes before and his momentary surprise was enough to allow Naruto the opportunity to talk.

"I won't allow it. I won't let you! The pain of being alone…I understand it all too well which is why I will never let that happen to my friends." he let out in a low growl.

"What do you know of loneliness! How on earth could you understand how I feel! I don't want your friendship, or anyone else's! Do you know why they call my brother the "Red Prince"? Because he massacred my entire family! I was left alone with the pain and knowledge that I had lost everyone I'd ever held dear. It took years, but I finally caught up to my brother and took my revenge on him, only to find out the truth behind his actions. He was the only member of my family that was left and I killed him. I am totally alone in this world now, not a single clansman left so you can't possibly understand!"

Naruto stood with his mouth slightly agape at Sasuke's confession but he quickly jammed it shut.

"Sasuke…"

"Don't. I don't need your sympathy." And he began to stride off away from Naruto again but before he could get too far Naruto spoke up again.

"You and I, we're not so different ya know?"

His words halted Sasuke just enough to make the elf peer back over his shoulder at the blonde shapeshifter. He didn't speak, but his unspoken question hung in the air, What do you mean?

"I…I've been alone my whole life. My parents died when I was born and no one in the village would have anything to do with me because of my shapeshifting. They called me a Monster. I had no one…that was until Iruka Sensei took me under his wing. He showed me how precious bonds can be and saved me from my loneliness and pain. That's why I'm resolved to never let that happen to you or anyone else. Your family might be gone, but that doesn't mean that there aren't other people who care. Like I said, whether you like it or not, Sakura, Kakashi, you and I, we're a team and that's a bond that no one can break-ttebayo!"

Naruto was so passionate about his speech that he concluded it with his favourite catch-phrase.

Sasuke who'd been listening without interruption finally spoke again.

"You still know nothing." He said darkly and with that he stalked away further along the road, disappearing from sight with a leap into the treeline.

"What the- Sasuke!" Naruto yelled out after the elf, but he was already beyond the blonde's reach.

"I'm NOT giving up BASTARD!"

* * *

Thank you to everyone who has been following and reviewing, much appreciated! Please keep it coming.


	7. Chapter 7

The campfire burned bright and with a welcoming glow, and all who sat around it enjoyed the warmth that it gave. Kakashi sat off slightly to one side reading his scrolls as he always did, while Naruto recounted an unbelievable tale of glory to Hinata who sat wide eyed in awe, listening intently. Sakura was barely paying attention, instead she was gazing at the fire in silence, and Sasuke? Well he was absent all together.

Ever since their encounter with Orochimaru three days ago, Sasuke had barely spent anytime with the group, often going off ahead on his own, or once camp was set up, going off and not returning until everyone was asleep. Kakashi had assured them that the Elf prince was not far as his magic could still detect him within their vicinity, but it was obvious to all that Sasuke did not want to be in their company and that left each member of the group feeling a little sore.

Sakura couldn't help the empty feeling that had been building inside of her over the last few days. The Necromancer's words hung around in her head on repeat, along with Sasuke's responses to them. Over and over the look of hurt and rage in Sasuke's eyes flashed through her mind along with the image of his retreating form as he left ahead of the group. The "Red Prince"…those were the words that had triggered something deep within Sasuke. Sakura wasn't sure on the details, but she had heard rumours of this "Red Prince". Heir to the throne in a faraway kingdom, he had not been able to wait for his ascension, instead he had murdered the entire royal family and all within the castle walls…At least, that is what the rumours told. Kakashi had confirmed the rumours to be true to some degree and that the "Red Prince" was Sasuke's older brother Itachi Uchiha. Then Naruto had told her about the conversation he'd had with Sasuke, and the information that Sasuke had revealed to him.

What a horrible thing. Sakura couldn't even begin to imagine the horror that Sasuke had lived through. His entire family, everyone he'd ever known and loved killed by his brother. Naruto had then said something about Sasuke chasing down Itachi and eventually exacting his revenge on his brother, however it had left Sasuke guilt ridden. They weren't sure of the details but it sounded as if there was more to the story between the brothers. It broke her heart just thinking about it and Sakura wished that she could do something to take away the pain that Sasuke must be dealing with, but she knew that there was nothing she could do, at least nothing of meaning.

Sakura didn't know Sasuke as well as she would have liked, but she was beginning to understand him more and more. The more time they spent together over their journey, the more she learned, and the more she wanted to know about him. He was a riddle that she wanted to solve, but she also suspected that solving one riddle, would only lead to more complex ones, and the riddle of Sasuke and the "Red Prince" was just the beginning. Dare she go down the rabbit hole?

It wasn't even really a choice if she was honest with herself. Ever since the beginning of this quest, she'd been hard pressed getting her mind off the Elf regardless of how hard she tried. She knew it was stupid. He was a highborn Elf, a Prince! and she was a human, born into a Barbarian tribe. Barbarians and Elves had never gotten along throughout history due to their differences, they were like chalk and cheese. Barbarians were by nature rough, tough and crude, lacking elegance or beauty unlike the elves who were the embodiment of grace and elegance and more often than not breathtaking in appearance.

Initially Sakura had been attracted to Sasuke's good looks, but now her feelings were developing further. There was more to Sasuke then met the eye. Sure he could be an arrogant bastard at times…Ok maybe most of the time…but Sakura was beginning to see that it was his armour that he wore to protect himself. Who could blame him when his brother was responsible for the massacre of his family? But before the incident with Orochimaru, Sakura had begun to see some cracks in the armour. The light sparkle of amusement in his eyes when him and Naruto argued like children, or how the frown disappeared from his face when he would sit next to her by the campfire. They were small signs, but signs none-the-less that he had been warming up to them, even if just a little. It gave Sakura hope that maybe even though Sasuke had been distant these last few days, that they could rekindle their team bond.

"And that was how I saved the village from destruction"

Naruto's loud voice broke through her thoughts and Sakura glanced up from the fire to look at her blonde friend as he concluded his absurd story for Hinata. Sakura smiled softly and with a warm fondness for her companion. Naruto was a stark contrast to Sasuke and she was in many ways grateful for that, even if he annoyed her to no ends sometimes. He was like a puppy. Super energetic and always boisterous and noisy, but loveable for all those reasons and more. She supposed it was good to have someone like him around. Someone who could see the good in everything and everyone. He was rubbing off on everyone, even on Sasuke, even if just a little.

Sakura's smile turned into an all knowing smirk as her focus turned to Hinata. The nymph was gazing at Naruto with unmasked adoration, a light blush tinting her beautiful porcelain features. Naruto had confessed to Sakura his interest in the nymph a few day's ago, but had yet to work out for himself that Hinata was already head over heals for him, let alone built up the courage to ask her out. It was only a matter of time though and Sakura was content to watch their relationship bud and bloom on it's own. Even Kakashi who usually donned a look of boredom, always wore an amused twinkle in his eye as he watched the two lovebirds interact.

Watching Naruto and Hinata together made her slightly jealous. Not because she wanted to be with Naruto, but because she was jealous of the budding romance they had. It made her want even more what she knew would never be hers. Without meaning to Sakura sighed, which caught the attention of the others. Feeling their questioning gazes on her, a deep blush bloomed over her face from embarrassment. Quick to avoid any further awkwardness or any prodding questions she stood up and excused herself to go take a quick stroll. No one argued or pushed the matter further so without delay Sakura began her aimless wander through the woods that surrounded their campsite. Well it wasn't completely aimless…she might have had it in her mind to go find a certain ebony haired prince lurking in the shadows.

Truthfully Sakura hadn't expected that she would find him at all, it had been more of a silly hope that she might, so when she found him, and so quickly, she was at a loss. She hadn't had any time to mentally prepare herself for a meeting with him. It didn't help that the scene before her took her breath away and left her whole body heated. All she could do was wonder if maybe the stars were looking upon her favourably tonight.

In the small clearing she'd stumbled upon, the light from the moon shone down, basking everything in a luminescent glow, almost like a scene from a dream. Sasuke glided around, ghost like, wielding his katana sword in steady and graceful arcs and slices. The sweat from the movement was beading of his pale skin which was bared to the night air from the waist up, his discarded shirt, cloak, bow and arrows lying by a tree on the other side.

"What do you want Sakura?" Sasuke's deep voice cutting through her daze as sharp as the sword in his hands, although he didn't halter his practice for even a moment.

Sakura felt her usual confidence dwindle immediately. She always felt like a little girl again when she was around him and she struggled to maintain a façade of dignity at being caught staring at him like a pervert.

"Oh…N..Nothing!" she stammered stupidly. Nice Sakura…real smooth she berated herself internally.

Sasuke stopped his practice suddenly and slid the sword back into its sheath. Without so much as a glance in her direction, he headed towards his items laying by the tree on the other side, it was as if Sakura wasn't even there.

Quick Sakura, say something, don't let him walk off! If he goes, you'll lose your opportunity to finally talk to him.

"Naruto told me what happened to your family" she said hoping that it would be enough to get his attention.

Sasuke was halfway through putting his shirt back on when he paused long enough to glance over his shoulder towards her.

"So?"

"So, I…I uh…I wanted to let you know that I'm here for you." she finished lamely. Sakura was cringing on the inside.

Sasuke finished dressing and turned around with a look that bordered between amusement and irritation.

"So that Loser went and blabbed and now you want to offer me…what? You're company? Someone to talk to? I'm not interested." He shuffled the quiver of arrows on his shoulder and went to take a step forward but Sakura interrupted him. Sasuke was surprised that her voice was a lot more clear and confident this time, she wasn't stumbling on her words like a little girl this time.

"I'm offering you my companionship. Whether you want to talk about what happened with your family or not, I'm letting you know that I'm here for you. I won't pretend to understand what you've been through, because I don't. There's no way I could understand the horrors you've lived through, but that doesn't mean I won't try my best. I don't want you to feel like you're alone anymore or that you have to keep pushing everyone away."

Sakura had crossed the clearing as she spoke so that she now stood in front of him blocking his way. She stood before him, and although she was a good head shorter than him, she stood her ground, strong and defiant, daring for him to make a move while he stared at her with a analytical eyes. Sasuke was frustrated by her persistence but there was a nagging feeling of appreciation for someone to openly defy him so. Sasuke's eyes glanced over her form, noticing that although it was late she was still wearing her heavy armour and had her battle axe still nestled in her belt. Come to think of it, the only time she wasn't wearing her armour was when she slept, but she still always had her axe handy. She was always battle ready, which he guessed was a part of her Barbarian upbringing. He frowned and closed his eyes in frustration and sighed.

"So annoying" he muttered as he pinched the bridge of his nose as if he had a headache.

Sakura was about to argue when he suddenly cut her off with a hand to signal silence before he then motioned behind him to the middle of the clearing. Sasuke didn't need to explain what he meant for Sakura understood him perfectly.

"You want to spar? Right now?" she asked incredulously.

He nodded as he once again lowered his bow and quiver to the ground and dropped his cloak beside it.

"But I'm leaving my shirt on this time" He said with a smirk before turning back to the centre of the clearing.

Sakura could feel the deep heat spreading over her face. Why was it that Sasuke finally discovered a sense of humour right now? Doing her best to reign in the wild thoughts and emotions banging around her skull, Sakura unsheathed her battle axe and headed towards Sasuke.

Well…this is going to be interesting...she thought to herself before her and Sasuke jumped straight into their sparring match.


	8. Chapter 8

To say that she was tired and sore was an understatement...

The spar last night with Sasuke had left her bruised and tender all over, but despite this Sakura walked with her head held high, refusing to let the pain show in her strides, especially when she'd finally gotten his acknowledgement of her strength. She could have taken one of her healing potions already, but she refused to, deciding instead to save them for more important wounds. Besides, Sakura wasn't the only one who was silently suffering. As she glanced over to Sasuke she took pride in the fact that she'd managed to mar that perfect skin of his as well, noting that there was a deep bruise and cut on his cheek from where she'd managed to land a blow.

Their sparing match had started out harmlessly as all spars do, but when it became obvious that both were capable of so much more, they both began attacking with more ferocity and intensity.

She recalled the look on his face when she had snuck in the punch responsible for the busted cheek. A look of absolute shock and amazement followed swiftly by anger had dawned on his usually expressionless features. It had been clear that he hadn't been expecting her to hold her own against him as well as she did, let alone to be landing blows that could send any man flying. But Sasuke wasn't a man, he was an Elf and while Sakura's efforts were well and truly admirable, she was at last bested by the superhuman reflexes, speed and accuracy of the well trained prince.

When they had finished, Sasuke offered his hand to help her up off the ground from where he'd had her pinned with his sword. Still catching her breath, she silently accepted, and he effortlessly pulled her up onto her feet. Sakura looked up at him with a new kind of adoration in her eyes and with the adrenaline still pumping in her veins, heightening her senses, she was acutely aware that Sasuke had not moved an inch, his heavy breath tickling her face, and he was still supporting her hand in his, the knowledge sending her body a flutter with a new rush of adrenaline. Sasuke seemed to realise this at the same time as her and quickly let his grasp on her go and took the slightest step backwards to create some space. He nodded at her then, his silent acknowledgement that she had impressed him.

"I can heal that for you if you would like Sakura Chan?" Hinata's sweet voice interrupted Sakura's flashback.

Sakura turned to the Nymph who was now walking beside her, pointing towards the cut on her forearm. It was red and puffy with inflammation, but nothing she couldn't handle. It would heal itself in a few days without assistance.

"I'm fine, thank you Hinata." She smiled at the nymph

Hinata looked hesitant, concern written all over her face. "U-um, ok, if you're sure" then she turned to Sasuke. "I can heal you're wounds if you'd like Sasuke Kun?" she offered kindly.

"No thanks" he didn't even turn to look at her when he responded.

Hinata looked down at the ground, the disappointment obvious on her face. It was clear that all she wanted to do was help, but no one was letting her. Naruto jumped in then, swinging his arm around her shoulders. "Don't worry Hinata, Sasuke's just sore about getting his butt kicked by Sakura Chan"

Sasuke shot Naruto a glare. "We already told you what happened, and that is NOT what happened"

Naruto ignored him and whispered in Hinata's ear something that made her giggle as they pointedly watched Sasuke.

Sasuke's scowl darkened "I can hear you even when you whisper stupid!"

Naruto laughed at him, an evil grin on his face. "You're not denying it!"

Sasuke scoffed "I'm simply not going to dignify it with a response Loser. I'm not playing your stupid games"

Naruto flipped Sasuke his middle finger in a rude gesture, along with pointing his tongue out. Sasuke's eyebrow twitched, and the veins at his temple pulsed in anger. He was about to retort some obscenity but Naruto turned back to Hinata grinning.

"Hey Hinata why don't you and I spar this evening?"

That made Sakura pipe up "Yeah, I'd love to see what you're capable of Hinata!"

"I'm afraid that spar will have to wait…tonight we'll be staying in a small village" Kakashi's voice interrupted drawing everyone's attention to the Sorcerer. Their curious gazes burned into him.

"What? I thought I'd mentioned that earlier? I need to get some final supplies before we reach the Toad Sage's mountain"

"But Kakashi, there's no town even remotely nearby according to the map." Sakura noted.

Kakashi smiled underneath his mask, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "That's the idea. It's a hidden village that is only known to a few Sorcerer's like myself. Technically you guys aren't really supposed to know, but there's no way around it."

That got their attention pretty quickly, each taking a moment to imagine the mysterious village that they would soon encounter. A secret sorcerer's village?

"Why is the village so secret?" Sakura continued her interrogation of the silver haired sorcerer.

"Hnn?" Kakashi played ignorant

Naruto joined in "Yeah! What's so special that they've gotta keep it hidden?"

Kakashi looked over his companions one by one, gauging their expressions and whether or not he could entrust them with this knowledge. There was no point trying to hide it from them, it would be easier to tell them now then have them asking questions when they arrived. Maybe if he told them now, it would be easier to pass through without a problem? Maybe…but when these four were involved…in particular…  
Kakashi's eyes landed back on Naruto before sighed in defeat.

"There is a magic hot spring there" he answered.

"A magic hot spring?" Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura and Hinata all questioned in unison.

Kakashi rubbed the back of his head nervously. Maybe telling them wasn't such a good idea.

Naruto chuckled before swooping in and wrapping one arm around Hinata, and his other arm around Sakura's shoulders so that he was sandwiched between the two women.

"Well there's only one way to find out what's so special about that hot spring! Who's with me!?"

Sasuke gave a quick sidelong glance towards the trio.

Hinata was quickly turning red from embarrassment and Sakura calmly pried Naruto's arm off before punching him in the face and sending him into the dirt.

"Idiot! Don't be such a perve!"

"Ah! Naruto kun, are you ok!?" Hinata gasped as she quickly ran to help him up off the ground.

"So what is so special about this hot spring Kakashi?" Sakura pressed.

Scratching at the side of his cheek, Kakashi could feel the sweat begin to bead. Was this really a good idea after all?

"Ahh well you see…" he began nervously.

"KAKASHIII!"

Everyone froze in place, not a single person had heard or seen the stranger approach. No they hadn't approached, they'd just appeared…literally, OUT OF THIN AIR! The stranger before them was dressed in an emerald green outlandish outfit, his ebony hair danced slightly in the breeze that had been stirred up by his sudden apparition, before settling about his face in a rounded style.

Kakashi cringed. "Gai?"

"KAKASHI! So good to see you my friend! It's been far too long!" Gai said as he charged up to the silver haired man and embraced him in an awkward bear hug that lifted Kakashi off his feet (much like a pair of dancers), ignoring the others completely.

Kakashi mumbled something under his breath, but no one but the Elf heard what it was. Sasuke snickered with amusement.

When Gai placed the Sorcerer back down, he finally turned around to acknowledge the others.

"And who do we have here? Why Kakashi, look at all these shining faces in the springtime of their youth! You dirty dog! Don't tell me you're trying to compete against me with the most youthful apprentices!?" Gai's voice boomed cheerily.

Kakashi's eyebrow twitched slightly but before he had a chance to answer, Gai cut him off again.

"Well challenge accepted! But even these four youth's are no match for my apprentice Lee! Quickly, we mustn't waist another moment!" and without any further words the man named Gai, disappeared in a flurry of green.

"Uhhh…What just happened? Who was that green guy?" Naruto asked while scratching his head in confusion.

"That's Gai"

Naruto glared and pouted, "Yes, that guy, what's his name?"

Kakashi couldn't help but laugh as he realised Naruto's confusion. "No, his name is Gai…Might Gai to be more accurate and his apprentice is Rock Lee"

"Might…Gai…Rock…Lee…" Naruto pondered out loud before bursting out loudly "What kind of names are those!? Is that some kinda weird code name you Sorcerer's use or something?"

Kakashi chuckled before taking the lead on their walk again. "Something like that…"

Naruto grumbled in frustration and chased after the sorcerer, Hinata close in tow. Sakura blinked before turning towards Sasuke to guage the Elf. Sasuke met her eyes and shrugged before continuing on behind the others.

What in the world was this place they were going? Magic hot springs and weird Sorcerer's who dressed all in green and use codec names?

* * *

The town was small and simple and very well hidden from the outside world. It had not been along the road they were travelling, nor any other road to speak of. In fact to the untrained eye, it would have appeared that they simply stumbled upon it as the sun was sinking into the horizon, but that was not the case.

The group was greeted again over enthusiastically at the gate by Might Gai and his apprentice, their details taken down in the visitors. Might Gai had fought hard to get the group to stay with him in his humble abode, however Kakashi had skilfully deflected and managed to ensure that they instead stayed in the local guesthouse in town which also happened to be the place with the hot springs. It was easy to find, the town itself consisted of one main road filled with merchants shops and a few smaller side roads consisting of residential housing.

The group checked into the guest house, setting their belongings into two adjoining rooms, the women in one room and men in the other.

Sakura swung her legs up and allowed herself to crash backwards onto the soft bed underneath.

"OH I can't believe I get to finally sleep in a bed again! Isn't this great Hinata?"

Hinata nodded enthusiastically before sitting down on the edge of her own bed lightly. "It was certainly generous for them to host us like this…After what Kakashi told us, I thought they'd be a little more reserved about letting strangers into their town." The nymph pondered out loud.

Sakura rolled over to face the other woman. "I thought so too, but I think it was mostly thanks to those green guys…umm Might Gai and Rock Lee was it?" she paused momentarily thinking back to their introduction at the gate. The pair dressed in green had certainly been enthusiastic about the group staying…something about the "springtime of youth" blah blah blah…she'd tuned out after a while

Hinata nodded "yes that was his name. He seemed really nice" and then she giggled catching Sakura's attention.

"What?"

"I think he really liked you" Hinata replied with an amused smile.

Sakura couldn't help but laugh at that "He was about as subtle as his outfit! Who does that? Professes their undying love like that? I practically had to dodge those kisses he was blowing at me!"

Hinata giggled at that "I think he was sweet…in his own way."

Sakura scoffed at that.  
"Regardless I'm not interested in him."

Hinata fell silent, as if considering what the barbarian woman had said.

"Hey Sakura Chan…I…um…well I was wondering…"

"Hmm?"

"Oh n-never mind it's nothing." She waved her hand as if she could shoo away the problem.

"What is it Hinata?" Sakura's brows furrowed ever so slightly as she stared at the nymph before her.

Hinata sat quietly fiddling with the hem of her shirt, a light blush had crept onto her features. Anyone with half a brain could have worked out what must have the nymph on the nymphs mind to have her so flustered. A wicked all knowing grin crept onto Sakura's face.

"Come on spit it out, you like him don't you? Naruto that is."

At her words the nymph instantly turned beet red.

"H-how did you know?" She finally squeaked back.

"Seriously? I think everyone but the idiot himself knows." Sakura instantly regretted her words the moment she'd said them. They were too blunt and Hinata was a gentle hearted woman who was already embarrassed, now Sakura had made it so much worse. Hinata hung her head to hide her embarrassment and Sakura felt the guilt surging through. How could she make the nymph feel better? Clearly she wanted to talk about it, maybe if she could get the ball rolling?

"Why don't you tell him?"

That clearly took Hinata by surprise as her head shot back up, her soft lavender eyes catching Sakura's in a wide-eyed gaze.

"I could never!"

"Why not? I'm pretty sure he's got a thing for you too. He's just too dumb to make a move" Sakura argued

If possible the nymph's eyes opened wider and her face turned even redder as she processed the information. It took a moment for her to regain her composure, but when she did, she finally responded.

"I…I, um…well…Why is it you haven't told Sasuke Kun?"

"…" Now it was Sakura's turn to become a flustered, blushing mess.

The two women sat in silence for a moment as they both pondered their respective questions.

Suddenly Sakura's soft voice broke the silence "Is it that obvious?"

Hinata smiled, "Only because I am the same."

Sakura shook her head at that. "No…Naruto said something about it to me as well…" she then laughed, but it wasn't a mirthful laugh, instead it was mocking "I guess that's just like me…about as subtle as an elephant…"

Sakura dipped her head to hide her shame under the shadow of her bangs, but Hinata could still see the hurt etched all over her features. The nymph nimbly jumped from her bed and glided over to Sakura's to sit beside her, her hand reaching out to gently rest on Sakura's shoulder.

"You mustn't think like that Sakura! There is nothing wrong with being in love!"

"But you don't understand Hinata, it's completely unrequited, and it always will be! He's an Elf and I'm a Barbarian of all things! We couldn't be more opposite then Day and Night!"

"Does the moon not love the sun and the sun love the moon although they are so different? They could not be without the other because of their differences. Love is by nature complicated and full of contradictions. I think we are supposed to fall in love with our opposites…they help complete us."

Hinata's hand left Sakura's shoulder in favour of holding the other woman's hand and gently squeezing it in a confiding way. Sakura gave a ghost of a smile in appreciation of the gesture.

"You are so sweet and kind Hinata, I think you are too good for a rascal like Naruto…I hope he man's up soon."

Hinata blushed "T-thanks Sakura Chan. I hope that Sasuke Kun returns your affections too. I will be cheering you on!"

The two women burst into light-hearted laughter and giggles, both feeling better knowing they both had the others support. Who would have guessed that a Barbarian and a nymph would become such good friends? Maybe…just maybe Sasuke wasn't so completely out of reach after all?

Maybe…just Maybe….


	9. Chapter 9

"Naruto! Wait up!"

"Geronimo!" Naruto shouted out as he canon balled into the water.

Sasuke tried to dodge the subsequent splash but it was all in vein and he was instantly wet from head to foot.

"Loser!" he grumbled

The only reason he wasn't kicking Naruto's butt into the next life was because he figured he was only going to end up wet once he entered the water of the onsen.

"aaah!" Naruto sighed

Sasuke quickly made his way into the water and found a place to sit where he was half submerged and closed his eyes as he lent back.

It had been a long time since he's been able to truly relax like this. The water was the perfect temperature to ease his aching muscles and the soft sounds of the water trickling was calming...at least it was until Naruto loudly interrupted his peace.

"I wonder if there's a peep hole here somewhere"

Cracking open one eye to look, Sasuke saw that Naruto was investigating the bamboo wall that separated the men's and women's sides of the hot springs.

"Idiot can't you just sit still and quiet for more than a minute!?"

Naruto turned to face him.

"You've never seen a naked woman before have you" it wasn't a question, more of a statement.

Sasuke despite his shock at the question, kept a good poker face. "And you have?"

Naruto's grin widened. "many"

Sasuke couldn't stop the surprise from showing this time.

Naruto continued "At first it was so I could perfect my transformation technique, but now...well..."

"you're an idiot"

Naruto glared "You wouldn't be saying that if you understood what I was talking about"

"I have no interest in that sort of thing"

Naruto snorted at that.

"I bet you'd change your mind if you saw Sakura naked"

"like I said, not interested"

Naruto mumbled something under his breath but with Sasuke's ears he heard it clearly and he retaliated by sticking his middle finger up at Naruto.

Naruto gave the finger back then went back to his search while Sasuke continued to sink in deeper into the water.

"Hey Sasuke?"

"Hmm?"

"What do you think Kakashi meant about these springs having special powers?"

Sasuke frowned. In his relaxation he'd completely forgotten about Kakashi's words. He sat up to think but found that his mind felt hazy and it was becoming harder and harder to concentrate. It must have been the heat or the steam that was doing this.

Looking over at Naruto Sasuke could tell that he was feeling the same by the dazed look on his face.

What had Naruto even asked again?

Sasuke's vision blurred for a second but it cleared nearly as quickly and his mind refocused as quickly. It wasn't much use though as he was surrounded by darkness.

"Sasuke!"

It was distant so Sasuke couldn't tell who's voice it was. Was this an illusion?

He tried to break the spell of the illusion but it didn't work not even with his abilities and that alone was concerning. Was this the power of the hot springs that Kakashi had warned of?

The world before him shifted and warped until he was looking at the entrance gate of a large mountain. The Toad Sage's mountain but before he could make any moves towards it the world transformed again and this time he was inside the mountain in a large chamber filled with hundreds of scrolls and mounds of treasure. Sasuke's eyes focused on the centre piece in the middle of the room. A small book with an old orange cover. Was that the one that Kakashi was after? Then his focus shifted to a series of scrolls in a dark corner, there was what HE was really after.

The world warped again and he was standing in darkness again.

"Sasuke!" a voice called and he recognised it as Naruto's but it sounded strange.

A dim light appeared as if a door has been opened and sasuke walked towards it, Naruto's voice getting louder.

"Sasuke! What the hell were you thinking!" Naruto's fist was grasping the collar off his shirt. "you nearly got yourself killed!"

"Tsk. Stop being dramatic loser!" the voice was his, it came out of his mouth but they weren't his words, rather it was like he was watching someone else in his body.

"I'm serious! Don't you get it!? We're a team, we're family now. You might not care about your life, but we do!"

Sasuke felt a strange stab in his stomach. Was it guilt? Happiness? But the world went black again before he could decide.

"Sasuke!" it was Sakura's voice this time but she sounded scared and in pain so he searched for her voice.

"Sakura? Where are you!?"

Her voice was as clear as day and yet he still couldn't see her.

"Sasuke! I am never doing this again you hear me! Aaaaaaaaahhh! Shanaroo!"

Her voice was heavy with exhaustion and sharp as she screamed with pain.

"Just tell me where you are!" he shouted.

"I'm here" Sasuke spun around to the voice that had come from behind him. It hadn't been Sakura's voice and it wasn't her standing behind him, but a young girl, maybe 4 or 5 years old. She didn't move, only stood there staring at him the way he was staring at her. She was small and delicate like any child was, but the intensity of her eyes captured him. They looked so much like his mothers eyes. Dark as midnight with thick lashes to emphasize them. Her hair was a matching shade of ebony and cut just above her shoulders, her slightly slanted elf ears just visible. She was a gorgeous little girl by anyone's standards but it was wasted on Sasuke, his only interest being in finding his injured companion.

"Where is Sakura?" he demanded.

The girls eyes shifted from him to focus somewhere behind him "Mama!" she squealed in delight and ran forward, arms outstretched like she wanted to hug but before she got close enough she evaporated into smoke.

The ground began to shake and crumble, falling away to the abyss beneath. Sasuke tried but was unable to dodge and suddenly he was falling through the ground.

"Ahh so you're both finally awake" Kakashi smiled from beneath his mask and overly large wizard hat as Sasuke cracked open his eyes. His head throbbed and his eyes were sensitive to the light in the room.

"My head hurts!" came Naruto's loud groan. "and what the hell was that!?" he then barked in anger.

Kakashi chuckled. "That was the magic of the hot springs. They give you visions of the future...so what did you both see?"

Sasuke propped himself up in his bed and glared at the silver haired sorcerer. "You want to know if we saw the future of this mission right?"

Kakashi nodded

"Dammit Kakashi why didn't you warn us?" Naruto demanded.

"Because foreknowledge can effect the visions you have. So what did you see Naruto?"

"I saw a giant talking toad. I don't think he was happy about us being there. I think we'll have to battle him"

Kakashi nodded his understanding. "What else did you see?"

Naruto turned beat red and waved his hands frantically in front if him.

"N-nothing important."

It was a blatant lie but judging by his reaction he was too embarrassed to talk about it. Sasuke's interest peaked but he wasn't about to ask. Kakashi turned on him suddenly.

"What about you?" he asked

"I saw the mountain entrance and the chamber with the Toad Sage's scrolls. Your book is there."

"Anything else?"

Sasuke shook his head. Kakashi didn't need to know about the other stuff as it didn't have anything to do with the mission and he was still trying to piece together what it meant. Visions of the future huh? Then who was the elven girl? Was Sakura in danger?

Naruto's voice broke his thought "Kakashi...how accurate are these visions?"

Sasuke looked towards Kakashi then too.

"They will come to pass without a doubt."

Naruto blushed again. What on earth had he seen to get him so flustered? "Oh" he smiled.

"Well I better go and see the girls, they should be waking about now" Kakashi sighed as he stood up and left the room.

Naruto turned to Sasuke "So what else did you see?"

"What makes you think I saw anything else?"

"Call it a hunch" he shrugged.

"You first"

Naruto blushed again and turned away scratching the back of his neck. Sasuke had just decided he didn't care enough to push further and that he would turn in early for the night when Naruto spoke up.

"I saw my wedding."

Sasuke's jaw dropped. "To who?"

Naruto laughed awkwardly before continuing. "Hinata"

That surprised Sasuke but after his initial surprise wore off, he figured it was only natural that they ended up together. Somehow it felt like they were a good match, like they balanced one another out. Not that he particularly cared. Silence ensued for a minute before Sasuke decided to reveal the rest of his visions.

"I...saw you. You were mad at me for something, going on with your usual "we're family crap"." he began.

Naruto frowned at him. "it's not crap ya know!"

Sasuke ignored him but otherwise stayed silent. He was thinking about whether or not to continue. Naruto watched Sasuke for a moment and realized that something was off. He knew Sasuke had always been dark and brooding, but he seemed...well...was shaken up the right word?

"Sasuke?"

The elf shook his head as if trying to shake his thoughts.

"Did something bad happen?"

Sasuke made eye contact with Naruto then.

"I...I'm not sure"

"What do you mean?"

"I heard Sakura screaming. She was in pain but I couldn't see her. Then there was this girl..."

"A girl?"

"She was an elf but that's impossible."

Naruto was deep in thought then.

"Well whoever she is isn't as important as keeping Sakura Chan safe."

Normally Sasuke wouldn't agree with the shapeshifter, but he knew that he was right. Sakura might be a barbarian warrior, but she was his companion and he found her company not entirely unpleasant. As much as Sasuke might begrudge the idea, his companions had grown on him and the idea of any of them being in danger certainly did not sit well, but for some reason he felt more concerned since it was Sakura. He could even say it was because he respected her for her strength, determination and even to go as far as to say she intrigued him as much as she might annoy him but that wasnt all the reasons. If he was being completely honest with himself, she It had begun creeping her way into his mind in a way no woman had before. It had first begun when she'd broken through his illusion and as they traveled more, she surprised him more and more and when it came to their sparring...well it had changed the way he viewed her entirely. He could fondly recall her breathing heavily, sweat dripping down her neck as she held her own against him. It had been a sight to see and if he was honest, he'd found it very attractive. He'd tried to banish the thoughts by focusing on the journey and the task at hand, but now this vision of her in danger would be constantly haunting his thoughts.

Naruto suddenly swung his legs out over the bed and stood up.

"Where are you going?" Sasuke asked.

"The girls room. You coming or what?" clear blue eyes pierced through ebony.

Sasuke sighed and stood up from his bed. "Yeah whatever"


End file.
